Thematic Review on Adult Learning
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THEMATIC REVIEW ON ADULT LEARNING CANADA BACKGROUND REPORT July 2002 Canada has granted the OECD permission to include this document on the OECD Internet Home Page. The views expressed in the document are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of Canada, the OECD or its Member countries. The copyright conditions governing access to information on the OECD Home Page are provided at: http://www.oecd.org/oecd/pages/home/displaygeneral/0,3380,EN-document-592-17-no-21-17182-592-no-no,FF.html EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Introduction The OECD asked countries participating in the OECD Thematic Review of Adult Learning to produce a country Background Report that would provide an OECD Expert Review Team with the information needed to conduct an effective direct investigation. This Report represents the Background Report for Canada. The purpose of the OECD Thematic Review is to review the adequacy of learning opportunities for adults, and to assess the participation and access to learning by adults; the review also aims to identify analyses and data that are needed to ensure an informed public debate on adult learning. A primary objective of the Canada Background Report is to capture the philosophy and structural context of adult training in Canada – particularly with regard to the roles of public institutions, private enterprises and individuals. The Report examines the premise that there is too little adult training in Canada. It also examines available studies on the cost effectiveness of training programs directed at the unemployed and disadvantaged. In order to ensure that the Background Report accurately reflects the diversity of policy and practice in adult learning across Canada, information was collected directly from the provincial ministries and departments responsible for adult education and training. The response to the survey was excellent, and the data form an important component in the Report. The research team also relied heavily on existing information from sources such as published surveys, government policy documents, research reports and program evaluation studies; in addition, the team interviewed officials in Human Resources Development Canada (HRDC). Social, political and economic factors that affect adult learning The level and types of adult education and training in an economy depend on a variety of factors including its political, social and economic structure. This is particularly important in Canada. Canada is a federal state with legislative authority shared by the federal government, ten provincial governments and three territorial governments. The country is vast, and its population of 31 million is concentrated in a few cities and along the long border with the US. Almost one-fifth of the population lives in rural (non-farm) areas and is spread over an enormous area: this makes access to and delivery of adult education and training particularly difficult. Canada is among the most developed countries in the world. Its economy is highly industrialized, and like other developed economies most GDP originates in service industries. The various industries are spread unevenly over the country: about three-quarters of manufacturing and about two-thirds of financial service industries, for example, are located in Ontario and Quebec. Canada has two official languages (English and French) and its population is highly diverse. In 1996 about 59% reported English as their mother tongue, and about 23% reported French as their mother 3 tongue; about 18% reported either more than one mother tongue or a mother tongue other than English or French. This diversity is due partly due to immigration. In 1996, there were about 5 million recent immigrants living in Canada (17% of the total population). European-born immigrants still form the largest group of immigrants; but immigration from Asia and the Middle East has grown rapidly over recent years, so that European-born immigrants now account for less than half of the total immigrant population. The age composition of the population has changed dramatically over the past 50 years or so. The baby-boom in the late 1940s created a significant influx of students, first in the elementary school system and then in the secondary school system, and many new schools had to be built to accommodate them. As the baby-boomers aged, the post-secondary education system was modified and expanded significantly to meet their needs. The composition of the population has again been changing dramatically over recent years. The proportion of the youngest population has dropped markedly, and the proportion in the older age groups is rising as the baby-boomers become older. In 1996, about 3% of Canadians belonged to one or more of the three aboriginal groups recognized by the Constitution: North American Indian, Métis and Inuit. Of this percentage, about 69% are North American Indian, 26% Métis and 5% Inuit. The unemployed are among the least-educated and poorest groups in the country. Unemployment rates vary significantly among provinces: the rate tends to be the highest in the Atlantic provinces and lowest in the Prairie provinces. In Canada, the proportion of the population with tertiary education and the level of participation in tertiary education are both high compared with other OECD nations; however, the gap in participation has narrowed in recent years. One feature of participation in tertiary education in Canada is that the proportion of enrolments in the two- and three-year technology programs in college is high relative to the US; however, the proportion of graduates taking advanced degrees is lower in Canada than in the US. This is an important issue because it influences the propensity to pursue lifelong learning, as well as the type of training demanded. Before the 1960s, universities provided the bulk of post-secondary education in Canada. However, factors such as the increasing demand for post-secondary education and growing recognition of the importance of education in economic growth, led to the creation of new types of non-degree granting post-secondary institutions. These are generally referred to as community colleges: they include community colleges, CEGEPs, technical institutes, hospital and regional schools of nursing, and establishments providing technological training in specialized fields. Community colleges offer career-oriented and technical training, as well as university transfer programs (which allow graduates to enter a university), and general education leading to diplomas or certificates. However, they differ significantly by province: In Quebec, the CEGEPs provide an intermediate level of education between secondary school and university. After 11 years of elementary and secondary schooling, students in Quebec must complete a two-year CEGEP program to be eligible for university entrance. In Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, community colleges offer vocational and technical training, as well as university transfer programs on an optional basis. In Ontario, some colleges offer programs which allow transfer to a university. In Ontario, Manitoba, and the Atlantic Provinces, colleges offer programs that are quite distinct from those available at universities. 4 In 1997-98, enrolments in community colleges were 551 thousand while those in universities were 823 thousand: Quebec and Ontario account for the bulk of enrolments. Government involvement in education and training in Canada Education is primarily the constitutional responsibility of the provincial and territorial governments. Adult education and training policies and programs in Canada are therefore quite diverse, and they reflect the different social, political and economic structure in each jurisdiction. The information provided by the provinces and territories on their policies and programs on adult learning clearly demonstrates the effects of this diversity. In many jurisdictions more than one ministry or department is responsible for adult learning. This approach has the advantage that policies and programs can be targeted to the needs of clients of the particular ministry or department. But it has the disadvantage that programs and policies may differ within a jurisdiction and even across the country. And this variation may lead to inequities in opportunities for adult learning across the country. Apprenticeship is an industry-based learning system that combines on-the-job experience with technical training, and leads to certification in a skilled trade. Classroom training usually takes the form of block release in which the apprentice is released for a short period of classroom training. Provincial and territorial governments are responsible for apprenticeship training, and legislation provides for the designation of an occupation as an apprenticed trade. Designated trades are governed by regulations under an apprenticeship act outlining the standards and conditions of training for specific trades (e.g. curriculum, accreditation, certification, and methods for registering apprentices). Apprenticeship in Canada is largely an adult program (unlike that in Europe). Most apprentices enter the program after spending some time in the labour market, and usually without formal vocational training in the trade. While education is primarily the constitutional responsibility of provincial and territorial governments, the federal government has some constitutional responsibility for education (e.g. for Native peoples). In addition, the federal government has become involved in other aspects of education